Putin to meet with winners, medallists of Trentino Universiade

MOSCOW, December 25, 3:17 /ITAR-TASS/. Russia's President Vladimir Putin will meet in the Kremlin here on Wednesday with the winners and medallists of the XXVI World Universiade of 2013, held in the Italian city of Trentino from December 11 to 21, said a presidential press service official.

The Russian national team, which comprised 185 sportsmen, 90 coaches and specialists, scored a confident win in team classification, gaining 50 medals, including 15 gold, 16 silver and 19 bronze ones. Russian sportsmen were most successful in ski races, winning a total of 15 medals: 6 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze ones.

The President traditionally meets with Russian sportsmen - participants in large-scale international competitions and such meetings have acquired special importance ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics of 2014.

At the end of October, speaking during Putin's meeting in Sochi with the directors of winter sporsts federations, Vitaly Mutko, RF Minidter of Sports, pointed out that the national team had bern "renewed by 80 percent" for the 2014 Winter Olympi Games. "The Russian team in Sochi is a blend of youth and experience," he said.

The Head of State repeatedly emphasized that the value of medals won at Student Games and Olympics is also in popularizing in the country an active way of life and in developing the infrastructure of mass children's and youth spots. In his Address to the Federal Assembly (parliament) in December 2012, the President stated that "herein is the principal idea of successful holding of the Universiade in Kazan and Olympic Games in Sochi".